Cardcaptor Nadeshiko
by Shimoyo
Summary: Sakura gives birth to a baby daughter, by the name of Nadeshiko. When Nadeshiko is five, she calls upon her unusual powers, and shares them with the clow cards. With new abilities, and more power, how will Nadeshiko ever catch them all now?P.S. ANGST
1. Default Chapter

Episode One: Tears of Destiny  
  
Xiao Lang heard his voice being called in the night. He slowly opened his sleepy eyes, and gazed in to his father's face.  
  
"Xiao Lang, you must get up quickly! We must go to the hospital!"  
  
Syaoran said. Xiao Lang sat up, and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Daddy, what's happening?"  
  
Syaoran picked up his young son, and put him on to the floor.  
  
"Your mother is going to have a baby. Do you want to come or not? Kero and Yue can look after you if you don't want to."  
  
Xiao Lang imagined Yue's cold face and grimaced.  
  
"I'll come."  
  
Xiao Lang padded over to his closet, and put on a pair of jeans. He grabbed a tee shirt, and followed his father down the stairs. Sakura was waiting at the door, a suitcase under her arm. Syaoran took her arm, and opened the front door. Syaoran opened the door of the car, and let Sakura in. He went to the other side, and let himself in. Xiao Lang opened the passenger door and buckled himself in. Syaoran put the car in to gear, and backed out of the long driveway. Xiao Lang looked out the window, then fell asleep. He remembered his father carrying him out of the car, but he couldn't remember anything else.  
  
Xiao Lang woke up a few hours later, on a blue plastic chair. His father's coat was around him, and he looked around the room. His father was looking through a window, and they were in the hospital. Xiao Lang rubbed his eyes, and stood up. A lady with dark grey hair sat beside him, and pulled him back on to the seat. She was wearing a long, pale blue dress, and moved as if she was floating.  
  
"Sakura will be coming out soon. Just wait for two more minutes,"the lady said, and looked over to where Syaoran was walking up and down the hallway, "Syaoran, sit down! Pacing never helped anybody." Syaoran rolled his eyes, but sat down beside Xiao Lang. A few minutes later, the door of the delivery room opened, and Sakura was brought out in a wheelchair. She held a pink bundle in her arms, and grinned when she saw Syaoran. Syaoran came over to Sakura, and she handed him the bundle. It was a tiny baby, and it held out a chubby arm towards Syaoran. It grabbed on to his finger and cooed. Syaoran knelt down to Sakura, and they kissed.  
  
"It's a girl. The doctor said that she is really healthy."  
  
Sakura said, smiling.  
  
"What will we call her?"  
  
Syaoran asked her. Xiao Lang had come up behind them, and was looking over Sakura's shoulders.  
  
"Mom, why don't you name her like Grandma? You always tell me stories about her."  
  
Xiao Lang said. Sakura looked behind her, and smiled at her son.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
She asked Syaoran. Syaoran smiled.  
  
"It's perfect. Xiao Lang, would you like to hold Nadeshiko?"  
  
Xiao Lang nodded, and he passed Nadeshiko to him. She was heavy, and squirmed in his arms. Her eyes were scrunched up, and she was letting out a loud howl. She was waving her arms around, and grabbed Xiao Lang's finger. She giggled, and Xiao Lang passed her back to his mother.  
  
"She's kind of cute, I guess."  
  
Sakura looked down at her tiny daughter, who had her arms up by her head. She grabbed at Sakura's throught, and got hold of her necklace. The Star key was in her hands, and she giggled again. She opened her eyes, and Sakura looked down at her. She gasped and looked at Syaoran.  
  
"Look at her eyes!" Syaoran looked down, and gasped as well. They were black, that faded in to a dusty rose colour.  
  
"I've never seen anyone with pink eyes. Is she all right?"  
  
Sakura asked Syaoran frantically. Syaoran shrugged.  
  
"I have no idea, but the doctor did say that nothing was wrong, right?"  
  
Sakura nodded, and held Nadeshiko closer to her.  
  
***5 Years Later***  
  
"Nadeshiko! Come back!"  
  
Sakura called, as her daughter ran around the yard. She giggled, and walked under the cherry tree. The blossoms were falling, and they landed on her dark hair. She twirled around, and laughed when her mom came under the tree as well.  
  
"Nadeshiko, would you like to come with me to Aunt Tomoyo's house with me? I'll be leaving in about five minutes, so go and get your shoes on. Oh, Nadeshiko, while you're downstairs, can you grab my purse?"  
  
Sakura asked, and walked up the steps that led on to the first floor of their large house. Nadeshiko ran up behind her, and opened the sliding door that led to the basement. She took off her shoes, and put on her bunny slippers. She ran in to her mom's workplace, where she had last seen her mother's purse last. She saw it on the table, and put it over her head. Bunches of papers littered the work table, and tons of old books were open to different places, describing strange symbols. On the worktable, one book wasn't opened and she pulled it towards her. It was pale pink, with golden symbols on the front. There was a lock on the front, but it was already open. She opened the book up, and there was a pile of cards inside. She stared at the designs on the back, and lifted her hand up to touch them. The cards started to glow, and her eyes became black. The cards filed out of the book and floated around her. They all started to glow, and beams of golden light shot out towards Nadeshiko. A golden circle appeared on the ground, and great gusts of wind ruffled her hair. She blinked, and her eyes turned back to their regular shade of rose. She shrieked in surprise, and tried to step off the circle, but she was stuck. She raised her hands above her head, and knelt on the ground. She started to sob, and the light just kept on getting brighter. Suddenly, the lights retracted back in to the cards, and they were all sparkling. They filed into the book, and she raised her face. Her eyes were purple, and her hair was a pale blonde, a colour unheard of where she came from. She dropped the book on the ground, and wiped her eyes. She ran up the stairs, and took one last glance at the book. It looked normal, but she was terrified of it. She ran up the rest of the stairs, and grabbed her mom, who was waiting outside the door.  
  
"What took you so long?"  
  
Sakura asked Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko buried her head in her mom's dress, and just shook her head. Sakura smiled, and started to walk down the street. Nadeshiko was holding on to the folds of her dress, and Sakura smiled down at her. She gasped in shock.  
  
"Nadeshiko, what happened? Why is your hair so light?"  
  
Sakura asked, kneeling down beside her daughter.  
  
"I...I... Mommy, watch out!"  
  
Nadeshiko screamed in fright. Sakura grabbed Nadeshiko, and rolled on the ground, just as a sword struck the spot where she was standing. Sakura picked Nadeshiko up, and started to run away. She could feel threads of magic drifting past her face, and could faintly make out a wall of glittering light. She stopped, and turned quickly around. A young girl, no more than 17 years of age, stood in front of her. She had deep black hair, darker than the darkest of nights. She would have been considered pretty, if only she hadn't tarnished her beauty with a frown. She smirked at Sakura, and held up her sword. She cocked her head, and gave a large smile to Nadeshiko, she was staring at her.  
  
"Do you recognise this? I find these cards fascinating, but I really had to change the colour. Pink is just not my colour."  
  
She said, in a low, menacing voice. Sakura gasped, and took out her key. She raised it up in front of her and spoke the magic words.  
  
"Oh key of the star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff and shine your light. Release!!!"  
  
The key spun around, and lengthened in to the star staff. She twirled it around her head with one hand, and pointed it at the girl.  
  
"Who are you? And why do you have the Sword Card?"  
  
Sakura demanded to the girl. The girl smiled.  
  
"Why does it matter? You will be dead soon enough."  
  
She lunged at Sakura, bringing her sword up to point at Sakura's chest. Sakura took a hasty step backwards, and had to lean forward so as not to fall down. The sword ripped in to her right shoulder, easily slicing through her bone. She cried out in pain, and dropped her staff. She gritted her teeth, and knelt down to pick up the staff. Nadeshiko was sobbing loudly, and had her face buried in her mother's dress. Sakura hoped she could hold on to her neck until she could get them both to safety. Sakura raised her wand in to the air, and called forth the sword card. The girl lunged for Sakura again, and Sakura blocked the sword. The two sword cards met, and they both broke in half. The girl threw down her sword in disgust, and the sword turned back in to a card. A different staff from the one Sakura was holding appeared on the ground, and the girl picked it up. It was black and purple, and it was twisted and tarnished with age. In the middle of the half circle at the top of the staf was an eight pointed star that was a pale white, with grey shadows dancing like the eyes of its owner. Sakura's sword turned in to her staff, and she swallowed in pain.  
  
"Nadeshiko, did you see the Pink Book on the table"  
  
She asked her daughter. She sniffed, and nodded slowly. Sakura knelt down, and placed Nadeshiko on the ground.  
  
"Nadeshiko, did anything happen while you were with the book?"  
  
Nadeshiko nodded again, and a tear fell down her wet cheeks.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Sakura asked her desperately. Nadeshiko sat down on the ground, and looked up at the ravaged face of Sakura.  
  
"I opened the book because the big lion wasn't on the front, so I thought it was a different book. I was going to pick one of the cards up, but they turned all yellow, and started twirling around. I couldn't do anything and...and... it felt like something was being pulled out of me. I didn't mean to!"  
  
She started to sob again, and Sakura gave her a quick hug.  
  
"Nadeshiko, can you please help me? When I grab your hand, concentrate on giving me your power. Please try at least, okay?" Nadeshiko nodded, and Sakura struggled to stand up, but couldn't. The girl was standing in front of Sakura, and she was holding a Clow card in her hand. She threw it up in the air, and touched her staff to it. A shadowy woman stood in front of the girl, and started to walk towards Sakura. She stopped, and the girl yelled,  
  
"What are you doing? Get her now!"  
  
The shadow looked between the two woman, and she bowed her head. She started walking towards Sakura, and Sakura grabbed her daughter's hand.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Nadeshiko. It's the only way."  
  
Sakura closed her eyes, and concentrated on getting the four elemental cards to her. Nadeshiko had closed her eyes as well, and her white hair swirled around behind her. She glowed with a pale purple light, and Sakura glowed in pink. Suddenly, four cards appeared in front of Sakura, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her breathing was ragged, and she knew she could not hold on much longer with the amount of blood lost, and how much magic she was using to protect her daughter. Slowly, she brought her staff up to meet the cards, and called out.  
  
"Windy, Watery, Firey, Earthy, release and dispel! Work together to save Nadeshiko!"  
  
The four women blasted out of the cards, and wrapped around the lady. The lady screamed in pain and rage, and stretched a hand towards Nadeshiko. She placed one black fingernail against her cheek, and slowly slid the nail downwards. A line of bright red blood appeared on her cheek, and she cried out. Sakura grabbed Nadeshiko, and pulled her away from the out reached lady. Sakura's last bit of strength was used up and she fell to the ground. Nadeshiko sat up, and looked at her mom, who wasn't moving at all. The lady was wet, burnt, windblown and covered in dirt and vines. The lady was laughing, a sound that was quiet, but steadily grew louder and louder. Nadeshiko stared at the lady, and she stopped laughing. A shadow passed over her eyes, as she stared in to Nadeshiko's own. She shook her head, and grinned.  
  
"Your next"  
  
The lady said shallowly.  
  
She pulled a card out of her sleeve, and threw it up in to the air. It spun around, and black shadows twirled around her body. She slowly started to disappear, and the sound of her laughter faded away as well. The force field that was around her slowly faded away, leaving only a slight glimmer behind. Rain suddenly fell on her, leaving her wet and cold. She crawled her way over to her mother, who was laying on her side. Her shoulder had stopped bleeding, and her eyes had turned a dull shade of grey, and stared straight ahead. Her dark skin was pale, and it was turning as grey as her eyes. Nadeshiko stared at her mother, and placed both her hands on her mothers side. They started to glow a pale purple, but started to change as grief overcame her. The purple turned to brown, and in turn turned in to a pale green. Nadeshiko bent over her mother, and began to wail, a high pitched shriek that was heard for miles around, and where it wasn't heard, it was felt, as if one person had the power to create grief for everyone else. As she sobbed, she didn't notice that she was covered in a glowing green light, that steadily grew darker as Sakura's life ebbed away.  
  
***  
  
A few blocks away, Tomoyo was serving lunch to her three children, Michiyo, Yoshi and Tamacka. Yamazacki had just walked in, and was surprised when Michiyo screamed, and backed her chair right in to her father.  
  
"Michiyo, whatever is the matter?"  
  
Tomoyo asked in surprise. Michiyo ran over to Tomoyo, and started sobbing on her shoulder. Tomoyo smoothed her hair, and asked her again what was wrong. She wiped her eyes and choked out.  
  
"Sakura. She's... gone."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened, and she gave a short gasp. She ran out the door, and Michiyo ran after her. The two little boys started to run after their mother, but Yamazacki placed a hand on both their heads. He frowned, and shook his head.  
  
"Leave them alone. You are too little to understand all that is going on."  
  
Tomoyo ran around a corner, followed by her eldest, Michiyo. They saw Nadeshiko laying on top of Sakura, and Tomoyo thought that she was gone as well. They walked closer, and both saw the dark green light that surrounded the little girl. She was sobbing piteously now, and her whole body was shaking Tomoyo's eyes filled with tears as she heard her, and knelt over the still body of her best friend.  
  
"No. This can't happen. You're so young. Why?"  
  
Tomoyo said, shaking her head. Nadeshiko looked up, and saw Tomoyo beside her. She wiped her eyes, and slowly crawled over to Tomoyo.  
  
"The black lady didn't want us around."  
  
She said, and gave Tomoyo a tight hug. Michiyo was crying quietly, and had knelt beside her mother. She tapped her mother on the shoulder and Tomoyo turned to look at her. She whispered quietly to her, and Tomoyo took a cell phone out of her coat. Michiyo wiped her eyes, then punched in the numbers to phone Syaoran.  
  
Ú?? *** Syaoran was teaching Xiao Lang a fighting stance when the phone rang.  
  
"Xiao Lang take a break. I'll get the phone." Syaoran draped a towel over his shoulders, and grabbed the portable phone that was on the patio. He picked it up, and pressed the TALK button.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
He asked, and he was answered by silence. He was about to turn the phone off, when he heard a sound at the other end.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
He asked again, and finally he heard an answering voice.  
  
"Li-sensei?"  
  
Michiyo called over the phone, her voice choked. Syaoran could feel the pain in her voice, and instantly knew something was wrong.  
  
"Michiyo, what's wrong?"  
  
He heard her take a ragged breath, and he prepared himself for the worst.  
  
"I'm so sorry Li-sensei, I'm so sorry!" She broke down and started to sob, and he heard the phone on the other end drop on the ground.  
  
***  
  
Michiyo dropped the phone on the wet ground, and she covered her face with her hands. Tomoyo was holding Nadeshiko, who had cried herself to sleep. She stretched her fingers out and grabbed the phone. She held it up to her ear with a trembling hand.  
  
"Syaoran, I have some bad news."  
  
Ú?? ***  
  
Syaoran swallowed the lump that was in his throught and closed his eyes.  
  
"I'm listening, Tomoyo."  
  
He said, fear penetrating every aspect of his voice.  
  
"Syaoran, Sakura... she... she... oh god, phone an ambulance! I'm so stupid! I was thinking about Nadeshiko and I forgot..."  
  
Syaoran heard Tomoyo burst in to tears, and tears filled his eyes.  
  
"Tomoyo, where are you! I can't call an ambulance if I can't find you!"  
  
He yelled, his voice filled with pain and rage.  
  
"We're on the corner of Shady Oak. But Syaoran, I think it's too late...."  
  
The connection broke off, and Syaoran dropped the phone. Xiao Lang had come in to the room, and hugged his father. He had tears running down his face.  
  
"It's mother, isn't it? I... I knew as soon as Tomoyo phoned. She's right. There's no need for an ambulance."  
  
His last words were choked up, and Syaoran grabbed his son in a tight embrace. Their tears intermingled, weeping for the one that was loved so much, by all.  
  
Yukito was woken up by a loud knock on his door. He sat up, and ran over to the door. He opened it up, and Tomoyo stood in the doorway, the still form of Sakura in her arms. She passed Sakura to Yukito, and slowly to the floor, her hands on her knees, and her head bent over.  
  
"I thought you would know what to do. I... I had to phone Syaoran."  
  
She started to sob again, and her daughter had to step around her to come inside the apartment. She held Nadeshiko, whose face was grubby with dried tears. Yukito walked in to his living room, and placed Sakura on the living room couch. She was completely grey, pale and colourless. Yukito brushed away tears and took Nadeshiko from Michiyo. Suddenly, a symbol appeared on the floor, and two large wings spread out from his back. The wings folded together, concealing Yukito. The wings opened, revealing a very tall figure dressed all in white. He looked over to Sakura, and slowly closed his eyes.  
  
"This should not have happened. She is stronger than even my first master now, but still she suffered the same fate."  
  
Suddenly, his eyes opened wide, and he took a step backwards.  
  
"The Star Cards! What will happen? They were never sealed away in the book."  
  
Tomoyo looked at Yue, who was pacing restlessly.  
  
"What will happen to you? Can you survive on Sakura's star by itself now?"  
  
Yue shook his head.  
  
"I'm afraid not. Because the book was not sealed, I cannot reside there. For the meantime, I can be Yukito, but soon the power in Sakura's star will dwindle. When that happens, Yukito will be no more."  
  
Tomoyo lowered her eyes, as tears welled up again.  
  
"So we will lose two of you, not just one."  
  
"In the future, possibly. We can prevent that by Keroberos choosing a new master, one that is as strong as Sakura is," Yue sighed, and became as cold as ice, "was."  
  
He stood in the corner, and would not talk to anyone. Tomoyo picked up his phone, and called the ambulance.  
  
Everyone had fallen asleep, exhausted by the events that day. A few minutes before, the ambulance had arrived, and took Sakura's body away. The noise woke Nadeshiko up, and she looked around the room. Michiyo had her arms around her, and she gently wriggled away. She stepped over Tomoyo's legs, and opened the curtains to the window. It was still raining, but she could see the tops of many different coloured umbrella's. She put her head on the cool glass, and tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked them back, and stubbornly stared at the falling rain. She heard someone behind her, and wasn't startled when a hand was put on her shoulder.  
  
"It has been a long while."  
  
Yue said, and Nadeshiko twirled around. A man with long white hair, and chilly blue eyes was staring at her. She was slightly scared, but summoned her courage, and stood up to her tallest. She didn't even come up to his waist, but it made her feel better.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about! I've never met you before!"  
  
The tall man knelt down and looked in to Nadeshiko's eyes. There was something familiar about his eyes, but she couldn't quite place it.  
  
"I know! You're Yuki! But, you don't look like Yuki..."  
  
She started to pout, confused by her feelings. An unatural smile lit up Yue's face, making his features seem not quite as cold.  
  
"It does not matter, I am Yukito, in a way. You can call me Yue."  
  
She cocked her head at him, and put a finger on her chin.  
  
"Yue, huh? I think I heard Mama talking about you with Kero once..."  
  
She bit her lip when she realised who she was talking about.  
  
"It's all right. You can cry if you need to."  
  
Nadeshiko shook her head angrily, and stomped her foot on the ground.  
  
"No it's not all right! I couldn't help mama when she asked, because I have no magic! Xiao Lang does, she should have asked him," she sniffed, but would not let tears come, "Mama told me about my grandmother, who I'm named after. She said... that her dad didn't cry because she asked him not to be sad. So I wont cry either!"  
  
She practically screamed, trying her hardest to keep the tears from spilling over. Yue picked her up, and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder.  
  
"That was Sakura's father, not you. Besides, it is all right to cry. You're just a little girl."  
  
Sobs wracked her body, and she held on to Yue's shoulder. A few minutes later, she was asleep again, exhausted by her pain. He put her down on Yukito's bed, and tucked her in to the covers. Her face was dry, as well as Yue's shoulder.  
  
"She never cried."  
  
Yue's eyes widened at the little girl's willpower, and softly shut the door. Tomoyo was up, and she was waking up her daughter.  
  
"I phoned Sakura's father, and...Toya. Fujitaka will be watching them tonight, while Li get's himself together. Fujitaka says that he is in no state to watch over two children."  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Tomoyo ran over to get it. She opened the door, and Fujitaka was standing in the doorway. Tomoyo gave him a quick hug, and escorted him in to the apartment. He stood beside Yue, and Toya walked in the doorway after him. He gave Tomoyo a hug as well, and patted Yue on the back. He took a quick look at him, and Toya's eyes were filled with tears. Yue walked in to his room, and picked up the sleeping Nadeshiko. He brought her out in to the main room, and handed her to Fujitaka. He placed her head on his shoulder, and she snuggled closer to him.  
  
"What's wrong with her hair?"  
  
Fujitaka asked Tomoyo. Tomoyo shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. I never really asked her, I was too caught up..."  
  
Her eyes filled with tears, and her daughter gave her a tight hug, and held on tight to her. Fujitaka slightly nodded, and turned to leave. Tomoyo followed behind, and walked outside. It was still raining, and Fujitaka offered Tomoyo a ride. She declined, and took the short walk home. Xiao Lang was sitting in the back seat, his eyes puffy and bloodshot. Fujitaka laid Nadeshiko down beside him, and he slowly buckled her in. Fujitaka got in to the ;front seat, and slowly backed the car out of his parking space. The three of them set off down the busy streets of Tokyo, not one of them saying a word.  
  
Fujitaka looked at his rearview mirror, and positioned it so he could see his two grandchildren in the back. Nadeshiko was leaning over on Xiao Lang's shoulder, her pale hair spread over on the seat like a white wave. Xiao Lang was asleep as well, his head resting on the window. Fujitaka shook his head, and took in a deep breath.  
  
"I hope that Sakura wasn't in too much pain..."  
  
His eyes filled with tears but he blinked them back.  
  
"So much like my own Nadeshiko. I never thought that I would outlive my children, or my own wife, but it happened."  
  
Xiao Lang opened his eyes when Fujitaka shook him awake. They were in the driveway of a large yellow house. His grandfather was carrying his sister, and took out a key. He unlocked the front door, and walked inside.  
  
"I'm sorry that you two haven't been to my house before, but I've been over in the Canadian Rockies researching an archaeological dig."  
  
Xiao Lang nodded, but wouldn't say anything. While Fujitaka was hanging up their coats, he noticed that there was a picture on a table. He picked it up, and almost dropped it. It was a picture of a little girl with dark grey hair, holding on to a yellow hat.  
  
"This looks just like Nadeshiko!"  
  
Fujitaka came over to Xiao Lang, and took the picture out of Xiao Lang's hands.  
  
"Really? I don't really see that much of a resemblance..."  
  
Fujitaka started to say, but stopped when he noticed what Xiao Lang was doing. He had ran outside, and just brought out his duffel bag. He ruffled around inside for a bit, and brought out a red leather book. He flipped through the papers, and finally found the one that he was looking for. It was a sketch of a little girl with very dark hair, and a bright smile on her face.  
  
"Is this Nadeshiko?"  
  
Fujitaka asked in surprise. Xiao Lang nodded.  
  
"She always had dark grey hair, and rosey eyes. Something happened today to change her colouring. Who is the girl in that picture?"  
  
Xiao Lang wanted to know. Fujitaka smiled, a small sad one.  
  
"That is a picture of my wife, long before I met her. Her name was Nadeshiko too."  
  
Xiao Lang put the picture back on the table, and sighed.  
  
"Why don't you have any pictures of my mom?"  
  
Xiao Lang wanted to know, his voice slightly choked.  
  
"I do have pictures of Sakura, only not as many. Nadeshiko was a model, so I use a different picture each day to put in that frame. I didn't take as many pictures of your mother, but I think that her Tomoyo took a lot of pictures of her."  
  
Xiao Lang nodded, and picked up his duffel bag.  
  
"I know. Mother told me about her days of being a card captor."  
  
Fujitaka stared at the young man, surprised at what he had said.  
  
"She told you that she was a card captor?"  
  
"Of course. Both my parents have been teaching me to use magic and magic history, in hopes that I would be able to use my powers, or even be given the clow cards when I am older. If the clow cards are given to someone else, they hope that I could help them catch the cards."  
  
Fujitaka was staring at him with absolute surprise, and Xiao Lang laughed when he noticed his expression.  
  
"They have told me about the clow cards, yes, but they didn't think I was ready to actually see someone capture the clow cards. All they have taught me is just what the cards are like, not how to capture them. Although, they have told me about you."  
  
Fujitaka laughed.  
  
"What do you mean? I'm not anything special."  
  
"Yes, you are. You are part of the reincarnation of Clow Reed, the magician who created the Clow Cards! Don't tell me that you never knew that?"  
  
Fujitaka had walked in to the living room, and had placed Nadeshiko on the couch.  
  
"Of course I knew that. I was just pulling your leg., I may have magical powers, but I don't know how to use them. I've never really met the other part of me, or whatever you would call this guy."  
  
Nadeshiko had just woken up, and she was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She slowly got up from the couch, and hugged on to her brother's legs.  
  
"I had a dream. Mommy said that she loves all of us, and that we don't have to worry. She told me to tell you to look after me, kay?"  
  
Xiao Lang nodded, and picked up his little sister. His eyes were filled with tears, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"She also said that I should tell daddy something, but I'm going to tell Grandpa before I forget."  
  
Xiao Lang put her down again, and her grandfather knelt beside her. She whispered something in his ear for quite a long time, and he nodded. He picked up the phone right away, and dialled the number to his late daughters house.  
  
Syaoran was sitting in his family room, the curtains drawn shut. He sat with his arms crossed, and when the phone rang, he didn't move. The phone rang for a few minutes more, and then the answering machine picked it up. It was Fujitaka.  
  
"Syaoran, you pick up this phone right now! You have a responsibility to your two children, and they can't stay with me forever! Pick up this phone now Syaoran! Damn you, come on! I know you are there."  
  
Syaoran sighed, and got up out of his chair. He picked up the phone and drearily said,  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Goddamn you, Syaoran! I almost shouted myself hoarse! I have a message for you, from my daughter."  
  
Syaoran almost dropped the phone when he heard what Fujitaka said.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean? She's..."  
  
"I know, but your daughter said she had a dream about her, and she had messages for everyone."  
  
"It can't be! Sakura and I both tested her for magic, and she has none! How can she has a vision?"  
  
"I don't know, but I know that it is true. She said that Sakura wanted to tell you something. She said that don't worry, she'll be back. She also said to look after the clow cards for her. They have enough power to stay in the book, but she is afraid that someone might try to tamper with them, because she is not there to seal them. You need to get the two guardians to choose a new clow mistress or master. Your children may stay here tonight, but they need their father. I know. Remember, I lost my wife too, and was left with two children as well. I never had anyone to send them to, so I took care of them in my grief. Oh, and Syaoran, there was something else. Nadeshiko wants to tell you."  
  
Fujitaka handed the phone to the little girl, and she said hello.  
  
"I saw mommy, and she said to tell you that she doesn't want you to be sad, she doesn't want us to be sad either. She also said that she doesn't want me to tell you what happened. If you need to know, use the return card, she said that it will let you. Bye bye daddy, see you tomorrow."  
  
She put the phone down in the cradle, and grasped her grandfather's hand.  
  
"Let's see the house."  
  
Fujitaka nodded, and led the two children upstairs. He opened a doorway, and put Xiao Lang's duffel inside.  
  
"This was Toya's room. We didn't really see in to it much while he lived here."  
  
Xiao Lang nodded, and walked in to the room. He put his bag on the bed, and watched as Fujitaka led Nadeshiko up a few more stairs, and opened a door. It was a bright yellow attic room, with a pink bedspread. She sat on the bed, and smiled brightly at Fujitaka.  
  
"This was mama's room, right? I can feel her in here... I'm hungry, can we have some dinner? It's dark outside."  
  
Fujitaka looked at the clock, and noticed that it was already seven o'clock.  
  
"I better get you two some dinner! Did you have lunch?"  
  
Nadeshiko shook her head, and she followed her grandfather down in to the kitchen. He started to chop vegetables, when he noticed that Nadeshiko was still standing in the middle of the kitchen. Her eyes were closed, and her hair was floating around behind her.  
  
"What's wrong, Nadeshiko?"  
  
Dark green light lit up the air around her, and Fujitaka was blinded for a few minutes. Nadeshiko had stopped glowing, and had fallen on the floor. He picked her up, and she opened her purple eyes.  
  
"The cards! Someone is hurting them!" She closed her eyes again, and fell asleep. Fujitaka yelled up the stairs for Xiao Lang to come down, and he ran down the stairs. Fujitaka rushed outside, and put his key in the car. Xiao Lang ran outside, and jumped in to the back seat of the car.  
  
"What's wrong? Why do we need to go?"  
  
Xiao Lang asked worriedly. Fujitaka backed the car out of the driveway and raced down the road.  
  
"Nadeshiko said that someone is tampering with the clow cards, like her mother foretold in her dream."  
  
Xiao Lang laughed.  
  
"You shouldn't be so uptight! She has no powers, she was thoroughly checked."  
  
Fujitaka shook his head, and kept his eyes on the road ahead.  
  
"I know, your father informed me on that as well. But you didn't see her, she was glowing!"  
  
He pulled in to the long driveway that led to the children's house. All the drapes were pulled close, and it looked very dark and gloomy. He parked the car, and picked up Nadeshiko, who was just beginning to stir. He ran on to the balcony, and rang the doorbell. Syaoran opened the door, and looked at his visitors in surprise.  
  
"I thought you were bringing them back tomorrow. What's wrong?"  
  
He asked. Fujitaka shrugged.  
  
"It might be a false alarm, but Nadeshiko said that the cards are in trouble."  
  
Syaoran nodded, and coughed.  
  
"She's right. I just used the return card to see what happened, and I am not surprised. The woman who killed my wife," Syaoran's voice broke, and he wiped tears from his eyes, not ashamed to cry, ...she is now after the clow cards, and I can't do anything about it, because I do not control the cards. I called Yue and Kero, and they are both coming over in just a few minutes to try and choose a new card captor. Ah, here they are."  
  
The doorbell had just rang, and Fujitaka opened the door. Yukito was standing there, with Kero on his shoulder. They walked inside, and took a seat on the couch.  
  
"I guess it's final then. We need a new card captor to seal the book, because our clow mistress could not. Xiao Lang, come here. "  
  
Kero said. He transformed in to Keroberos, and closed his eyes. Xiao Lang knelt in front of him, and Keroberos summoned the book to him. It floated over, and started to glow.  
  
"Book crafted by Clow, conquered by Sakura, reveal your powers to me! Someone wishes to make a contract with you. His name is Xiao Lang!"  
  
The book started to glow, and a key appeared out of the book. It was pink, and was shaped like a star. Xiao Lang stretched his hand to grab it. He tried to grab it, but he was thrown back. Kero opened his eyes, and looked at him in surprise.  
  
"The key didn't want to make a contract with him. I guess our card captor is someone else."  
  
Syaoran started to protest, wanting Nadeshiko to try, when suddenly all the lights went out. Nadeshiko looked around in surprise, and started to stand up. She saw a purple glowing light coming from where Kero was, and ran over to him, sensing an immense evil. A short girl with black hair was standing by the book, and Kero was floating above it, purple light surrounding his small body. Nadeshiko knew she was evil, and wanted her mother's powers. She screamed in fury, and ran in to the girl. The girl grabbed the key, and fell on the ground. The staff glowed red, and transformed in to a twisted, ugly staff. The girl picked herself up, and glowered at Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko started to cry, and the book blasted open. The cards showered out, and surrounded Nadeshiko. They lit up and her hair rose up straight in to the air. Cool brushes of air hit her face, and she looked above her. Her mother was floating above her, and tenderly placed her hand to her young daughter's face.  
  
'I wish I didn't have to impose this upon you at such a young age, but I guess it must be. The cards don't wish to part with you, but the girl has stolen the staff that was supposed to be yours. Do me proud, I love you all."  
  
A single tear fell down her cheek, and lay suspended in the air, glittering like a small snowflake. She touched it, and it grew in to a long, silver staff. She grabbed it, and a pale blue stone appeared in the middle of the half circle on the top. She grabbed the staff, and it grew longer. The girl who had the other staff, groaned in fear, as Nadeshiko pointed her staff at her. The girl struggled to stand up, and ran out of the house as fast as she could. Grey tendrils of shadows twisted and flowed after her, and the room resumed the lights. The cards flew away, little lines of golden light flashing in to the ceiling. Everybody was slumped over in their seats, and as the room became as warm as it was, they started to wake up. Yue blinked and sat up, clutching his head. Kero always had a hard time waking up, and today was no exception. He was floating in the air, and a little dribble of drool was hanging from his mouth. Her brother was sprawled out on the floor, and was holding on to his arm that he had fallen on to. Nadeshiko sat down beside him, her silver staff on a necklace around her neck. She helped him up, and brushed his dusty clothes off. He looked at her quizzically, and saw a glimpse of a silver chain around his little sisters neck. He had a guess about what it was, but he kept it to himself. His father was sitting in the big chair, and looked increasingly gloomier. He dismissed them to their rooms, and Nadeshiko ran to hers. She sat on her bed, and put her head in her hands. She took the necklace out of her shirt, and stared a the smooth simplicity of the design. Suddenly, the blue stone started to sparkle, and the golden insignia appeared on the floor. Water dripped from the ceiling and formed a women made completely of water. She had long hair that was made completely of water, and her angry looking eyes looked full of pain. She lifted her hand out of her watery body, and toucher her hand to Nadeshiko's face. It was surprisingly warm, like that of a human's hand. She knelt down, and rested her head on Nadeshiko's shoulder. Nadeshiko was surprised, but put her arms around the watery woman. She felt hot water fall on her skin, and looked up in surprise. The woman was crying, and opened her moth to speak.  
  
"Please, seal me."  
  
Nadeshiko nodded, and lifted her necklace in to the air. It grew bright, and twirled around above her. It grew in to the staff, and she grabbed it. She lifted it up in to the air, and smashed it in to the air. The watery woman lowered her head, and started to fade in to watery strands. A glowing rectangle appeared at the top of her staff, and the glowing strands of water rushed in to it. They all disappeared, and the glowing rectangle ceased to glow. It fluttered down in to her hands, and she looked at it in surprise. She was a smart young girl, but she had yet to go to school. For that reason she could not read the name on the bottom of the card, but knew it was the watery woman. She gave a sleepy smile, and settled down on to her bed. She gave a wide yawn, and fell in to a deep sleep. 


	2. Angel from the Sky

Episode two: Angel from the Sky  
  
***10 years later***  
  
Bright sunlight flashed on Nadeshiko's face in broad strips of light, awakening her from a deep sleep. She stretched her arms out, and happily smoothed out her bright bedspread. It was made of all different coloured triangles, and was about as cheerful as the girl in them. Her hair was still as golden as ever, but it was much longer than before. It swept down her back in waves, as golden as the bright sun outside. There was a knock on her door, and her brother walked inside. He grinned at his little sister, and handed her a big white box. She smiled at her brother, and took the box from him.  
  
"Happy birthday!"  
  
He happily said, as she undid the big bow. She opened up the box, and gasped. Inside the box was a creamy white dress, perfect for the formal dance that she was going to that night. She took it out of the tissue, and fingered the delicate pearl beading. She glanced up at her brother, who was leaning on her bedpost, looking at a picture that was on her bedside table. She looked at it, and she gave a sad smile. It was a picture of her mother, when she was in high school. She had shorter hair than what Nadeshiko remembered her mother having. She leaned over to her brother, and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, and pulled away, leaving a flower in her hair. Her brother walked out of the room, to try and save the burning breakfast. Nadeshiko got up out of her bed, and walked over to her mirror. She touched the flower in her hair, finding it was the flower she was named after. She took the dress that her brother had given her, and put it on. She opened her closet, and rummaged around for any shoes that would match. Finally, she found a black pair that still fit her, and stood up with them in her hands. She walked down the stairs, and opened the French doors that led in to the kitchen. Her brother was flipping pancakes, and her father was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. Those ten years had not been kind to Syaoran, who was now 42 years old. His hair was greying, and there were many lines throughout his face, giving him the appearance of being at least ten years older. Nadeshiko set her shoes by the front door, and ran over to her father. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and sat down beside him. Xiao Lang brought over a tray of pancakes, and sat down at the table. He dished them out, and Syaoran folded the paper. They ate in silence, until they were all done. Syaoran pushed his plate away, and smiled at his teenage daughter.  
  
"I really like that dress on you, but did you forget that it is a school day? Xiao Lang has offered to drive you to school while he's here."  
  
Nadeshiko nodded, and ran up the stairs. She opened her closet again, and brought out her uniform. It was a white pleated dress, with a black tee shirt. It was too hot for summer, but the person who usually redesigned the uniforms had been out of business for some time, and the new designer really didn't know what he was doing. Nadeshiko looked at herself in the mirror, and sighed.  
  
"Well, at least I have a cool backpack."  
  
She said, and picked up her pink backpack. I t was very pale pink, and it had dark pink embroidered Sakura blossoms. She traced the blossoms with her finger, then threw the back pack on. She opened her jewellery box to look for some jewellery, but none of her accessories looked nice enough to her. She was about to shut the drawer when she noticed that there was a silver chain sticking out the back. She pulled on the silver chain, and a long necklace came out. On the end of the chain, a silver loop was hanging, a small blue stone in the middle. It was tarnished, but she could she a few little pieces of silver sticking out the bottom. She took one of her old dresses, and rubbed the necklace on the dress. It took off all the tarnish, and she gasped at it's beauty. It was a silver half circle, with a small blue stone in between the half circle. It was a key.  
  
"I wonder what it opens?"  
  
She quietly whispered to herself. Her father called up the stairs, saying that she was going to be late. She pulled the necklace over her head, and ran down the stairs, the necklace hidden in her shirt. Her brother had the car running, and she hopped inside. He backed the car out of the long driveway, and drove down the street. He was silent, and Nadeshiko watched the scenery outside. They neared the school, and he stopped the car.  
  
"Dad gave me this to give to you. He was.... feeling sort of sad today, so he couldn't give this to you himself." He handed her a small box, and she slowly opened it. It was a locket, made of gold, with an etching of a cherry blossom in the middle of it. She opened the inside, and there were two pictures inside. The picture on the left was her father, much younger, and a lot cuter than she ever expected her own father to look. On the right was a picture of her mother, with much shorter hair than what Nadeshiko ever remembered her having.  
  
"How old are they here?"  
  
Nadeshiko asked her brother. He took the locket from her, and looked at the pictures.  
  
"Dad said a long time ago that Mom was given a locket on her sixteenth birthday from her father, that had been passed down in her mother's family for a long time. When she got it, there was a picture of her mother inside, and one of her father. Her mom was 16 and her dad was, um, I think  
  
he was 27. She got a letter as well. Oh, there is one right there."  
  
There was a piece of lavender paper sticking out of the box. She pulled the letter out of the box, and opened the slightly scented folded paper. It said,  
  
"Dear daughter,  
  
You are now sixteen, a year of many untold emotions and adventures. Although I am not here anymore to protect you, I know that you can pull through. You are much stronger than anyone believes, even you yourself do not understand that as of yet. I wish that I could see your face, hear your peals of laughter, and see your first loves. I was not all powerful as I believed, nor were all of my troubles over. I was naive, and that almost cost you your life. I wanted to say that I was sorry, and I wanted to say that whenever you feel as if you need to give up, don't. You needn't fear anything, because you are stronger than fear.  
  
Love,  
  
Sakura"  
  
Nadeshiko wiped a tear away, and opened the car door. She put the necklace around her neck, and put the letter in her pocket. She walked off, and her brother pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
It was a very long day, and it seemed even longer in the last twenty minutes. Mulan was staring at her with utter repulsion on her face, and gave a very rude sign with her black painted fingernails. Nadeshiko ignored her, but she could hear the other students in her class snickering and laughing at her. Finally, the final bell rang and Nadeshiko ran out of the stuffy class room. Michiyo was waiting outside for her, and gave her a hug.  
  
"How was school?"  
  
Michiyo asked kindly. Nadeshiko sighed, and draped her arm around her friend.  
  
"Mulan is such a jerk. I don't know why she hates me so."  
  
Michiyo shook her head, and opened the door in to her mother's limousine.  
  
"Mulan's mother is Meiling, right?"  
  
Michiyo asked. Nadeshiko sat inside of the limo, followed by Michiyo.  
  
"I met her a long time ago, around the time your mother passed away. Even then, she hated you. Meiling was always mad at your mom, because she took away Syaoran. So I guess she passed the dislike of Sakura to her daughter, and now her daughter hates your family."  
  
Nadeshiko nodded dismally, and she saw that the limo had stopped in front of her house. She gave Michiyo a kiss on the cheek, and got out of the limo.  
  
"Are you going to come in? I'm sure dad wouldn't mind."  
  
Michiyo shook her head.  
  
"I'm sure your father wouldn't mind, but Xiao Lang would. Ever since we broke up, he has been very cold towards me. I don't think that he would enjoy my company very much. I'll see you later, when you come over, all right? Bye!"  
  
Michiyo shut the door, and Nadeshiko waved goodbye. She walked in to her house, and ran upstairs to change in to her new dress. As she came downstairs, she could hear her father having a conversation with two other people.  
  
"We need to find the girl who stole the staff! Ever since she took it, I have been sensing clow cards all around me, but there is nothing I can do to collect them. Sakura was supposed to be the mistress of the cards for a very long time, but when she died... Clow Reid did not foresee that event. Keroberos and I have a duty to fulfil to our new mistress, and so we must leave to find her. I do not trust this new girl, and neither does Keroberos, but we cannot live on the power of Sakura's star for much longer. Soon, I will need to become my alter ego, Yukito, for good. We just came here to say that we were leaving. We both... loved your wife very much."  
  
Nadeshiko walked down a few more stairs, and peered in to the kitchen. A tall man with very long white hair was looking at her father, who had his back to her. A lion like being was at the side of her father, and looked towards the stairs, where Nadeshiko was watching them. She gave a little gasp, and backed up the stairs. The lion creature leapt over the island in the middle of the kitchen, and bounded up the stairs.  
  
"Who are you? What business have you here?"  
  
He yelled. Syaoran ran in to the hallway, and yelled up the stairs,  
  
"Keroberos, this is my daughter, Nadeshiko."  
  
The creature named Keroberos looked at her in surprise, and gave a small bow.  
  
"I am sorry, but it is not very often that someone can overhear our conversations without our consent."  
  
She nodded, a little shakily, and made her way down the stairs. She walked up to her father, and gave him a kiss. He looked down at her, and looked at the two necklaces that were around her neck.  
  
"What is this necklace? I've never seen anything like it before."  
  
He picked up the chain, and the charm touched his hand. He gave a cry of pain, and the necklace started to glow. She looked down at it in surprise, and suddenly, her eyes became as black as the night sky. She raised her hands in to the air, and said,  
  
"Key that brightens the darkest of nights, I, Nadeshiko command you to bestow your powers upon me! Release!"  
  
The silver key started to spin, and became a long staff. The insignia of her mother was under her, and pieces of earth swirled around her. She gabbed it, and silver light raced up her arms, and her body. Her hair lifted up, and she opened her eyes. Her usually honey-blonde hair was now as white as the man's that stood in her kitchen. The insignia faded away, and she was left standing with the long staff in her hands. They were all staring at her, and she looked around, scared out of her wits. She sat down, and dropped the staff on the ground.  
  
"I thought that it was all a dream! How could this happen to me!"  
  
The white haired man had walked up the stairs, and now he sat down beside her, arranging his long limbs. He awkwardly patted her shoulder, and she grabbed the staff.  
  
"What is this thing, anyway?"  
  
She asked, studying the strange staff. Yue took it from her, and took a look at it.  
  
"I've never seen anything like it. It's full of energy from the moon, but also energy from the sun, the dark, and even Sakura's own star. Where did you get this?"  
  
He demanded of her, and handed her back the staff. She looked at it, and gave a little sigh.  
  
"I found it in my jewellery box this morning. I remembered it somehow, but it was all foggy, and I couldn't really remember what happened. Who are you?"  
  
She asked, realising that she didn't know who any of them were. The lion gave a short bow, and looked up at her with honey coloured eyes.  
  
"My name is Keroberos, guardian of the seal. The stiff, white one over there," he said, pointing his paw at the white man, who was looking daggers at the lion, "is Yue, the "judge""  
  
Nadeshiko stood up, and looked closely at Yue. Her eyes opened wide, and she gasped.  
  
"I remember you! You said that I could cry,...when mother died."  
  
She ended the sentence in a whisper, that only Yue could hear. He nodded, remembering the young lady in front of him as a little girl. Suddenly, the front door was kicked open, and hit in to Syaoran. He hit the floor, and the door clattered on top of him. He groaned, and tried to push it off him. Mulan was standing in the doorway, and she came towards Nadeshiko, her fists raised. She hit her in the stomach, and Nadeshiko cried out. It was like having a stone thrown at her as hard as anyone could throw. Mulan snickered as Nadeshiko fell down, clutching her stomach.  
  
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"  
  
She said sarcastically. She walked over to where Nadeshiko was, and raised her foot to give her a kick. She pushed her leg down, and Nadeshiko caught her foot, and twisted it. Mulan twirled around, and hit the floor. Nadeshiko got up, and stood over top of Mulan. Mulan kicked her legs out from under her, and Nadeshiko fell on the floor again. Mulan helped Nadeshiko up, and threw her in to the wall, leaving a dent in the plaster.  
  
Keroberos was watching the girls fight, and was amazed at how fast they were moving. Mulan smashed Nadeshiko in to the wall, and he saw the mark that she left in it.  
  
"No human can do that... but Mulan is not a card, she's the little girl's kid! Wait... Syaoran said something about Nadeshiko giving the cards something when he used the return card. Maybe she gave them the power to become humans... Oh I don't know! This is crazy!"  
  
Mulan was punching Nadeshiko's face, but she kept moving her head, making Mulan miss every time. Finally, Mulan landed a glancing blow to her head, and Nadeshiko cried out in pain, her face instantly bruised. Mulan grinned, and wasn't paying attention when all of a sudden someone pressed a sword in to her back. It was a girl about her age, with blue-black hair. She pressed the sword harder in to Mulan's back, and she winced in pain.  
  
"Fight card, reveal yourself!"  
  
The girl cried out. Blue bands of light shot out of Mulan, and she fainted. The blue bands merged together, creating a light blue lady. She paid no attention to the girl with the sword, and resumed her fighting position. Nadeshiko lightly touched her cheek, and took a fighting stance as well. The card jumped in to the air, and tried to land on her shoulders. Nadeshiko ducked, and stood on her hands, kicking her legs in to the air. She kicked the Fight in the stomach, and she crashed upside down in to the wall. She groaned, and staggered to her feet. Nadeshiko rushed up to her, and punched her with right hook. She fell on to the floor again, and raised her arms in defence.  
  
"Nadeshiko catch it! Raise your staff in to the air!"  
  
Keroberos called. She skidded on the broken plaster, and picked up her staff. She raised it in to the air, and so did the girl with the sword. The stone in Nadeshiko's staff started to twirl around, and created a glowing card at the end of her staff. The fight card looked up at the girl weakly, before she was destroyed in to strands of ribbon that spun in to the card. It fell down from the tip of Nadeshiko's staff, and fell into her hands. It was an old fashioned card, with the Chinese symbol for fight on the top, and the English on the bottom. The woman that she was fighting against was pictured on the card, her fists up, ready to fight. She recognised the design on it, and gave a small gasp. The girl was still standing behind her, and was poking the sword in to her back.  
  
"Give me the cards! They are not yours to have!"  
  
She screamed. Yue unfolded brilliant white wings from his back, and barrelled right in to the girl. She gave a cry of protest, and slammed in to the ground. She stood up, wiping the blood from her lip.  
  
"It does you no good to protect her, Yue. She has her destiny, and there is nothing you can do to change it"  
  
. Yue glowered at her, and stood in front of Nadeshiko. She raised her hands in to the air, and deep black shadows covered every inch of her body, then she disappeared. Yue took a step back, and sat on the stairs, completely worn out.  
  
"Keroberos, what does this card do?"  
  
Keroberos looked up at her, surprised that she didn't know. He looked down the stairs at Syaoran, who sighed.  
  
"I didn't teach her because I thought she gave all her power to the Cards, so she was powerless. I couldn't tell that she had any magic before, so how was I supposed to know she still had some!"  
  
Syaoran cried, getting himself worked up over nothing. Keroberos bounded up the stairs, and laid down beside Nadeshiko.  
  
"Those cards were created by Clow Reid, an ancient magician. He was the one who created Yue and me. You can use that card against any cards that you may happen upon. Now, usually I stay with the card captor, but there are two this time with staffs, and I don't think that girl is going to be a kind mistress. I need to go keep an eye on her, to make sure she doesn't do anything funny. Oh, I almost forgot. The next time you see me, I'll probably look different, and Yue will have switched in to Yukito again. He may even create a new person, I cannot be sure. Also, I must warn you. There are four elemental cards, Windy, Watery, Earthy and Firey. They are the most devious, and they are the hardest to catch. My luck goes with you."  
  
Keroberos softly rubbed his face against Nadeshiko, and started to go down the stairs when Nadeshiko called for him to stop. She ran down the landing, and in to her room. She took out the drawer of her jewellery box, and felt along the bottom. Finally, she felt a rectangular shape under her fingers. She pulled it out, and brushed the dust off it. It was another card, the one that she had caught when she was five. She ran out on to the landing again, and held the card out for Keroberos to see.  
  
"Huh? That's the Watery!"  
  
Keroberos said with surprise. Nadeshiko nodded, and held the card close to her chest.  
  
"I don't remember much when I was five, but when you mentioned the elemental cards, I remembered that I had hid this in my jewellery box. My brother mentioned that he wanted to get the cards, so I thought that he would want to take mine, and I didn't want him to."  
  
Keroberos nodded, and walked out the door. Yue stood, and looked at Nadeshiko.  
  
"Water is a strong ally. Keep your cards with you at all times."  
  
He stepped out the door, and Syaoran shut it. He sat on the stairs, and held his head in his hands.  
  
"Why does this have to happen again? I thought that you would be a normal kid, I don't want to have to see you fighting monsters. It's too dangerous, you're only a child. Actually, I forbid you to collect any more."  
  
Syaoran said, using his authority. Nadeshiko stalked past her father, and started to get on her shoes.  
  
"You can't make me do anything. The way I see it, the cards will just come to me when they think I am ready to capture them. I have no control over the magic that is in me. And father, do you really think that I want anything to do with magic? If you told me once, you told me a million times, my mothers magic was what killed her, but now I know differently. My magic caused mother's death."  
  
Nadeshiko bit her lip to keep from crying, and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her. The driveway was pretty long, and it took her almost ten minutes to get to the very end of her driveway. Michiyo was waiting for her, and gave a start when she saw the state of her friend.  
  
"Don't ask. It's been a very long day."  
  
Michiyo nodded, and walked beside her in silence. Suddenly she turned towards Nadeshiko, her eyes slightly glowing.  
  
"Someone is going in to the past!"  
  
Her hair rose up straight in to the air, and she glowed a greeny-gold.  
  
"Nadeshiko, I have one of the Star Cards residing in my body, because I have vowed to keep the past safe from all intruders. But now someone has used the time card, and she has more power than me. She has travelled... 26 years in the past, to a time where your mother was sixteen. Nadeshiko, your very life is in danger!"  
  
Nadeshiko was very afraid, but she knew what she was talking about. She nodded, and Michiyo reached a hand towards her.  
  
"Nadeshiko, please take my hand! But I must warn you, it will be very dangerous to send you to the past, and you may not return. If you do succeed, you will not remember what happened in the past. Will you go?"  
  
Michiyo asked, and Nadeshiko nodded. She gulped, and grabbed Michiyo's hand. Dark green light rushed around her body, and Michiyo held a clock in her hand. She took the hands of the clock, and spun them back 26 times, ending both hands at twelve o'clock. The clock started to glow, and shone so bright that it hurt her eyes. Michiyo held out the clock, and Nadeshiko took it in to her arms. It turned in to a glowing card, and then she fainted.  
  
Ú?? *** 26 Years in the Past***  
  
England, 20??  
  
Eriol Hiiragizawa looked up suddenly, his face as white as the ghost in the story he was telling. Sakura, Rika, Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Naoko were having a picnic, and they had invited Eriol and Yamazacki along. When the story broke off, everybody looked over at Eriol, whose face was just returning to normal.  
  
"Eriol, what's wrong?"  
  
Tomoyo asked. Eriol gave her a long look, and she recognised his meaning at once.  
  
"Magic.."  
  
She quietly whispered to herself.  
  
"I'll be all right. I think I need to walk for a bit. Would you two young ladies like to accompany me?"  
  
He asked, offering his arms. Tomoyo stood up and took Eriol's right arm. Sakura stood up as well, but didn't take the offered arm. They walked in silence through the trees, coming to a small field that was the joy of the younger elementary children. Sakura broke the silence suddenly, by saying,  
  
"Eriol, I know something's wrong. You looked like me when I hear ghost stories. Wait, when you turned white, I felt a slight presence, magic that was very weak. Was that what you felt? I didn't think that you would freak out over that. What's up?"  
  
Eriol was lost in thought for a few moments, then said.  
  
"I felt the presence of an extremely strong power just a few minutes ago. I feel it still, although it is not as strong as it was. I still think that you should have sensed more of her powers, you are much stronger than I am. Wait, maybe that person that has the power is somehow blocking their power from Sakura. But I don't think it is a benevolent force, it seems so pure, but that also may be a block as well."  
  
They walked in silence once again, and suddenly both Sakura and Eriol stopped, staring up in to the sky. Black light was threading through the sky, forming in to a pulsing black, and twilight ball of dark light. Suddenly, the ball broke as if it were a exploding star in space. Tomoyo had looked up as well, and was astonished by what she had seen.  
  
"Was that a black ball in the sky, or was that just me?"  
  
She asked, surprised that something so magically huge had happened in full daylight.  
  
"I saw it too. I can't believe someone could be so stupid to do that large of a magic spell in full daylight."  
  
Eriol said, scratching his chin.  
  
"Who could it be?"  
  
Sakura asked, hoping that the older magician would know. He shrugged.  
  
"It could be many things. It could be a spirit, like Soo Yun, or it might be just another magician showing off. I wouldn't be surprised actually, if it was just a magician showing off. Sakura, it's been six years since you started capturing the clow cards, and I am surprised that no one has come to see you yet. Clow Reid was a very famous magician, so it would make sense that somebody would come and see you. Wait, something's happening again!"  
  
They looked up in to the sky again, and saw that dark green ribbons were flying through the sky, in to the dense clouds. They lightly touched the trees, and small pieces of glitter stuck to the ribbon. Sakura walked up to one of the trees, and one of the ribbons came towards her. Eriol ran up to Sakura, and grabbed her hands away. The green ribbon hovered in the air above Sakura, then shot out towards her, wrapping her hands in the glittering ribbon. She gave a gasp of dismay, as she was lightly pulled upwards. Eriol grabbed her leg, and was able to keep her from going up in to the sky. Eriol grabbed the ribbon, and gently untied it from her hands. Her eyes and become a light shade of green, and had been staring in to space, but when the piece of ribbon was taken off of her hands, she blinked, and held a hand to her head. Tomoyo ran over, and grasped her friends shoulders.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
She asked, fear and worry penetrating through her falsely cheerful voice. Sakura nodded, and looked up in to the clouds.  
  
"When that ribbon touched me, it was like it was sucking all the energy out of me, like a leech. It must be an awfully strong spell to need that much magic."  
  
Eriol turned towards Sakura.  
  
"You could feel the magic?"  
  
He asked her, and Sakura nodded.  
  
"Do you mean that you couldn't feel the magic?"  
  
Sakura asked Eriol. He shook his head.  
  
"I gave half my powers to your father, so I am not as strong as I used to be. And I think that even if I had my full powers, I would not be able to sense that magic. Was it very strong?"  
  
He asked Sakura. She shook her head.  
  
"No, when I first touched it, it was not powerful at all. But once you pulled me off the ribbon, it felt like it had become stronger once it had a hold of me. It is a very strange magic. I want to investigate."  
  
She took the Star Staff out of her shirt, and closed her eyes. The magic insignia appeared under her, and she called out,  
  
"Key of the Star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff, and shine your light!"  
  
The key twirled around, and became longer. Sakura grabbed the staff, and she spun it around. She took a card out of her pocket, and threw it up in to the air.  
  
"Fly Card! Release and Dispel!!"  
  
Pale pink energy raced around Sakura's body, creating wings on her back. They had changed from what they were before, becoming longer, and more dignified. She lightly stepped off the ground, and hovered a few feet in the air. Tomoyo was rummaging around in her bag, and finally emerged with a camcorder. Sakura groaned as Tomoyo pressed the REC button, and turned towards Eriol.  
  
"There's no one around, is there?"  
  
Sakura asked, looking around. Eriol slightly closed his eyes, and shook his head.  
  
"No, no one is around here, the closest person is about 200 meters away. Sakura, I'm surprised that you don't even know a simple location spell! I'll teach you, but you have to promise me one thing."  
  
Sakura looked at Eriol in surprise, who winked at her. She smiled, and said,  
  
"Well, Yue, Kero, my father, Syaoran,.... practically EVERYONE has tried to teach me, but its no use. The concept is beyond me. By the way, what did you want me to promise to do?"  
  
"I want you to take me with you, when you look for the magic up there. Will I be too heavy for you?"  
  
Sakura shook her head, and grabbed Eriol under his armpits. She flew up in to the air, and broke through the dense clouds that had been threatening to rain on them all day. Above the clouds, everything was bright, and the sky was the brightest blue she had ever seen. The green ribbons were up here, the ends a pale green, like they were transparent. Green slowly started to come up the ends, and became a very dark green. The ribbons floated around, and started to fold in to the shape of a human. They could tell it was a girl, for obvious reasons. The ends of the ribbons settled on to her chest, and her body heaved upwards, the ribbons slowly disappearing and turning in to flesh. She was floating in the air, small specks of light dancing around her. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she sat up, her body only resting on air. She shielded her eyes from the brilliant sun, and looked around her. She saw Sakura and Eriol, and looked at them in surprise. Suddenly, the pieces of glitter entered the girl's body, and she plummeted to the ground.  
  
Sakura went in to a nose dive, racing after the unknown girl. They caught up to her, and she was muttering under her breath, her eyes tightly closed. Eriol reached out his hand to try and grab her, but there was nothing to hold on to except for her dress, since she wasn't paying attention to the two of them. Eriol yelled at her, and finally she opened her eyes. She grabbed his outstretched hand, and Sakura tried to pull all three of them up, but she was not strong enough.  
  
"Sakura! The fly card doesn't give you any extra strength, it just enables you to fly! Try to grab the power card."  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes, and tried to pull all three of them up.  
  
"I know that! I can't grab the Power card, because I'm holding you!"  
  
Sakura screamed at him, fear clearly showing throughout her voice. Eriol closed his eyes, and breathed slowly in and out.  
  
'If only I had all my powers, then I could make us all float down. Sakura probably doesn't know that spell either, but its worth a try.'  
  
Eriol twisted around, and looked up at Sakura. Her eyes were tightly closed, and she was using all of her strength to try and pull them up.  
  
"Sakura! Do you know the spell for float?!"  
  
Eriol called to her, the fierce wind causing his yell to sound like the faintest whisper. Sakura shook her head, trying not to cry.  
  
"No! I'm not that far with my magic studies! We're almost to the ground!"  
  
Sakura shrieked, all reason leaving her as she said those last words. She struggled to pull them up as hard as she could, but she was tiring out fast, and knew that Fly would not work for much longer if she kept trying to pull on them. The girl that Eriol was holding overheard their conversation, and looked towards the ground, with a deep fear in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"I can't do this! I have no magic! It's my fault, I killed them all!"  
  
She started to sob, and the tears flew off her face, the wind driving them back. But they didn't go far. Her tears encircled the three of them, and created a shimmering ball of light around them. They were only about 100 feet above the ground, and they stopped plummeting just as they were able to see Tomoyo's small figure recording their every move. The ball of light floated slowly to the ground, and they were on the earth once more. Sakura let go of Eriol, who watched as the force field slowly disappeared, and faded in to the girl that Eriol had been trying to save. The wings disappeared from Sakura's back, and she fell to the ground, breathing a long sigh of relief. As soon as the last droplet slowly dissapeared in to the girl's body, she started to wobble, and Eriol only just managed to catch her. Sakura looked up, and smiled at the girl who saved her life.  
  
"I thought that she said that she had no magic. She must have been wrong. I owe her a lot, for saving both our lives. You owe her too, Eriol."  
  
Eriol nodded, but did not answer the young clow mistress. He was looking up at the sky, and the clouds seemed to be darker than they were before.  
  
"It's going to rain."  
  
He said disgustedly, and as he said that a big drop of rain landed on his glasses. He brushed it of, and tried to pick up the girl. She didn't look very heavy, but she was taller than Sakura and Tomoyo, and he wasn't sure if he could even lift them by himself. Eriol grabbed her under her arms and under her legs, and slowly lifted her off the ground. She murmured, but did not wake up. He started to walk along the path that took them back in to the heart of the park. There was a clap of thunder, and then some large, fat droplets of water splashed on to Eriol's glasses. Sakura was walking off in front of Eriol, and Tomoyo walked at the back, folding her papers in to a large leather folder. Suddenly, the shower became a torrent of rain, and was thoroughly soaking everything on the ground. Eriol and Tomoyo walked calmly along, for Eriol had created a barrier that held off the rain. Sakura gave a little shriek, and started to run as fast as she could. Eriol tried to call after Sakura, but she had joined the track team, and was even faster than she was before. She left Tomoyo and Eriol in the dust, but they were dry, and she was not. Suddenly, the barrier around the three of them broke, and torrental rain plummeted on to them.  
  
"I guess I can't keep up with thos spell as long as I used to. We better run for it."  
  
Tomoyo held her papers to her chest, and ran as fast as she could, leaving Eriol alone with the girl as well. He slowly jogged the small path that led to the library, trying to make sure that the girl would not be dropped.  
  
Sakura ran out of the park, and turned up the street that led to the library. She pushed open the heavy oak doors, and sank in to a bright orange chair, her hair dripping all over it. She wrung out her shoulder length hair, splattering water on to the linoleum floor. She sat there for a few minutes, then the door opened again, revealing Eriol, Tomoyo and the girl. She looked at their semi-dry clothes, and gave a little groan.  
  
"I can't believe that I didn't use that spell! I mean, how can someone be so stupid? If I had stayed around for a little longer, I could have made sure that none of us got wet. I'm sorry, Eriol, that was very selfish of me"  
  
Sakura said, and asked Tomoyo if the rain had stopped yet. Tomoyo took a glance outside, and nodded.  
  
"Its stopped raining outside. You all can come over to my house, my mom's not home. Wait..."  
  
Tomoyo's cell phone rang, and she pressed the TALK button.  
  
"Hello? Yes, Yes. All right, I'll see you later."  
  
She turned it off, and sighed.  
  
"That was my mom. She was coming back home tonight, but decided that she was going to surprise me by coming home early. I'm not afraid that she'll find a big mess, but she will if we go to my house, with this girl. We are all soaking wet, and we'll create huge puddles on the floor. Sakura, can we go to your house? Mom's not exactly lenient when she has just come home on a huge business trip."  
  
Sakura nodded, and Eriol walked out the library door.  
  
"We better get her over to your house Sakura. She's drained of her powers, and she's wet. I'm sure that she'll get a cold if she doesn't get out of these clothes."  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo ran after him, and they walked together up the street that led to Sakura's house. Sakura unlocked the door with a key from her bag, and walked inside. She slipped off her shoes, and entered the front hall, followed by Tomoyo and Eriol.  
  
"Toya, are you home?"  
  
Sakura called out, crossing her fingers that he wasn't.  
  
"Yea, I'm here."  
  
Toya said, without any enthusiasm. Eriol placed the girl on the couch, and sat on a chair that was over by the window. Toya walked in to the room, wearing a apron and drying a dish. He gave a slight bow to Tomoyo, but stared when he saw Eriol.  
  
"What's he doing here?"  
  
Toya said, pointing at Eriol. Sakura sighed.  
  
"There was a... magical disturbance earlier this afternoon. Eriol had come for a visit, but now I think that he might have to stay for a longer amount of time. I don't think that my problems with magic are over yet."  
  
Sakura huffed, and sat on a chair beside Tomoyo.  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
Toya asked, pointing at the girl that was on the couch. Sakura shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. She appeared in the sky, and started to fall down once she had swallowed enough magic. She had some strange magic..."  
  
Sakura said, trailing off. Toya was staring down at the girl, and the girl blinked once, then opened her eyes. She looked up at Toya, and gave a shriek of surprise. She struggled to sit up, and scooted to the far end of the couch. She looked at them all in surprise, her eyes huge. Sakura stood up, and sat on the couch beside her.  
  
"My name's Sakura. We found you, and we took you to my house. What's your name?"  
  
Sakura asked her, and grinned. The girl blinked slowly, and smiled as well, the cheery expression on Sakura's face clearing out any of her worries.  
  
"My name is Nadeshiko. I hate to be rude, but where am I? I know I'm in your home, but which city? I don't seem to remember much."  
  
Nadeshiko had left a puddle of water on the couch, and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
She said, but Sakura shook her head.  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up later. We're in Tomoeda, Japan. Did you bump your head or something?"  
  
Nadeshiko shook her head, and bit on to her lower lip.  
  
'It's true. Michiyo brought me in to the past. She's my ... mother, but only younger.'  
  
"Thank you, my head was just feeling a little fuzzy. AAAAAAACCCHOOOOOO!!"  
  
Nadeshiko yelled, covering her face with her hands. She suddenly felt tired, and her whole body was all clammy, freezing cold under all of her wet clothes. She sneezed again, and Toya took a worried look at her.  
  
"Sakura, you better lend her some clothes. Sounds like she's getting a cold. Jeez, Sakura, I thought you would take better care of your guests."  
  
Toya said, cringing as Sakura threw the wet towel that she was using to mop up the water at him. Eriol grinned, and Tomoyo giggled, enjoying the sibling rivalry. Sakura ran up the stairs to her room, and rummaged around her drawers to find a suitable outfit. She ran back downstairs, and handed the clothes to Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko smiled, and stood up to thank Sakura. Sakura stared at her, and laughed.  
  
"I don't think that my clothes will fit you."  
  
Toya looked down at her, and realized what his little sister meant. He put his hand on top of Nadeshiko's head, and measured her on to him. She came up to just below his eyes. Toya laughed.  
  
"You're right Sakura, she won't fit in to anything that you have. Since you guys are all shorter than she is, except for brat numero two over there, I'll lend her something of mine to wear. All right?"  
  
Sakura frowned at him, and rubbed her arms to keep warm.  
  
"But Toya, you're a guy and she's a..."  
  
Toya interrupted Sakura in mid-sentence. He cocked an eyebrow at Sakura, and crossed his arms.  
  
"If you have a better idea...."  
  
Toya said, walking away. Sakura laughed nervously, and grabbed her brother.  
  
"No. Thank you! Are you going to get some clothes for her?"  
  
Sakura asked her brother as he walked out of the room. There was an answering grunt, and Sakura sighed in relief.  
  
"I'll go get a towel for you to dry yourself off."  
  
Sakura disappeared around the doorway, and Tomoyo turned to Nadeshiko.  
  
"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tomoyo Daidouji. This is Eriol Hiiragizawa."  
  
Tomoyo said, pointing to Eriol. Nadeshiko smiled, and held her hand out to Eriol.  
  
"I thank you for saving me."  
  
She said, and grinned reassuringly. Eriol stared at her for a few seconds, then hesitantly took her hand. It was surprisingly warm for someone sitting in wet clothes. Eriol grinned at her, and released his hand from her grip.  
  
"It's me who should be thanking you. Sakura and I both owe our lives to you."  
  
Nadeshiko slightly blushed, and shook her head.  
  
"Oh no, I didn't so anything. It wasn't me."  
  
Eriol looked at her quizzically.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course it was you! You have extremely strong mag..."  
  
Eriol was interrupted by Tomoyo, who had accidentally dropped her video camera. She picked it up, and inspected it all over, making sure that everything was in place. She finally turned the POWER button and aimed the camera at Nadeshiko. She smiled, and sighed in relief.  
  
"I thought for a minute there that I had lost all of my footage!"  
  
She exclaimed. Nadeshiko turned towards her, and Tomoyo handed her the camera.  
  
"You weren't worried that the camera could have been broken?"  
  
Nadeshiko asked her, looking through the camera lens. Tomoyo took back the camera, and pressed a button, revealing a digital screen.  
  
"No, I wasn't worried. The newest models aren't breakable and are made with extremely durable plastic. Here, I want you to take a look at this. I know that you saved my friends."  
  
Tomoyo turned the camera over to Nadeshiko, and pressed play.  
  
The screen was fuzzy for a second, and replayed the scene that had happened only a half hour before. When it was finally over, Nadeshiko looked worriedly up at Eriol.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
She said, waiting for him to say something to her. When he did say something to her, it wasn't what she was expecting him to say.  
  
"S-sorry?! What do you mean? It was great that you were able to do that spell in such a short period of time, and be able to make it so strong. Who taught you?"  
  
Nadeshiko gave a smirk.  
  
"To tell you the truth, I wasn't taught at all. I eavesdropped in on my brother's training, and it took me two tries while falling to finally be able to do it. My father didn't want me to learn any magic."  
  
Nadeshiko said, and gathered her skirt in to a fist. At that moment, Toya entered the room and looked from one teenager to the other. He shook his head and shrugged.  
  
"I'm not going to ask. Here."  
  
Toya handed Nadeshiko a shirt and a pair of pants, and a pair of Sakura's socks.  
  
"Arigato, Toya. Oh, where can I change?"  
  
She asked him. He was about to reply, when Sakura dashed in to the room.  
  
"Sorry it took so long, but all the towels were in the dryer, 'cause SOMEONE didn't do their job this week."  
  
Sakura said, glaring up at Toya. He glared back down at her, and they both would have stood there for quite awhile if Eriol hadn't cleared his throught. Sakura glared at her brother one last time, and then turned towards Nadeshiko, who was staring at the two of them. Sakura took her arm, and slowly pulled her off the couch.  
  
"Oh, I'll take you to the washroom."  
  
Sakura said, and took Nadeshiko to the rear of the house. She opened the door to the bathroom, and let Nadeshiko in. She thanked Sakura, and closed the bathroom door behind her. She took off her wet bodice and dress, and towelled herself off. She pulled on the clothing that Toya had got for her, and brushed her hair with a comb that was lying on the counter. Her hair was curly again, and it was almost dry. She sighed in relief and opened the bathroom door. Sakura was waiting outside, and grinned up at Nadeshiko.  
  
"Wow, you're really pretty. Oh, you better watch out for Tomoyo, she'll probably want to record you."  
  
Nadeshiko laughed, and walked over to where Sakura was standing.  
  
"Thank you very much, for everything. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come when you did."  
  
At that moment, Nadeshiko's stomach gurgled, and she clutched at it. She rested her hand on the wall, and closed her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Sakura asked, looking very worried. Nadeshiko shook her head, and took a few minutes to gather herself together.  
  
"I think its jet leg or something. I'll be all right in a few seconds."  
  
Sakura watched her, and she did seem to be getting better. She breathed a long sigh in relief, and broke in to a sunny smile.  
  
"I'm okay now, but I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, and even then I didn't eat very much."  
  
Sakura smiled, and went back in to the kitchen. Tomoyo and Eriol were still in the living room, and they were having a heated discussion over Mozart and Beethoven, trying to fight out who was the better composer. Toya was in the kitchen, and he was making a stir-fry. There was cutlery on the table for five, and Sakura sat herself down. Toya came over with two plates and set them in front of Nadeshiko and Sakura. Nadeshiko murmured a thank you, and dug in. Sakura watched her, trying not to laugh.  
  
'She looks like Yuki when he's really hungry!'  
  
"So , where are your parents?"  
  
Nadeshiko asked Sakura. Sakura smiled.  
  
"My dad's over in Egypt, studying the pyramids. My mother died when I was very little. Who do you stay with?"  
  
Sakura asked Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko's eyes clouded over, and she wiped away tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks.  
  
"I live with my father as well, and my mom... died when I was little. I.. was the cause of her death."  
  
Nadeshiko stared straight at Sakura, and Sakura swallowed her food nervously.  
  
"What do you mea.."  
  
Toya interrupted his sister, and pointed his finger at Nadeshiko. His eyes were wide open and the fork in his mouth was dangling out. Sakura turned around, and put a hand on her face in surprise. Nadeshiko's eyes were black, and her hair floated softly in the air behind her. She pointed her finger at Toya, and said softly,  
  
"You are in danger." 


End file.
